


Landlords Suck

by ukulelekatie



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Backspace Challenge, F/F, One-Shot, To Be Continued?, Vampires, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:46:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25093327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukulelekatie/pseuds/ukulelekatie
Summary: Laura is struggling to find a new apartment within her price range when she stumbles upon the perfect home. But the apartment (and its landlord) are hiding a bloody secret...
Relationships: Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein
Comments: 3
Kudos: 45





	Landlords Suck

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my attempt at Silas Library Club’s backspace challenge! I learned a lot from this, mainly to not second guess myself but also to think and strategize more as I write. 
> 
> Prompt: Your landlord is a vampire, so he offers you a deal. You can pay your rent in money… or in blood.

“Oh jeez, I’m never going to be able to afford to live here,” Laura groaned, clicking through listing after listing. She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a puff of air through her nose. In less than a week she’d be starting her new job in a new city and still had nowhere to live. Her days browsing apartment rental sites yielded no luck—As soon as she fell in love with the photos and list of amenities, she’d see the price tag and close the tab immediately, crushed. 

One thing was clear: she would not be taking in a roommate. She’d had her fair share of terrible roommates all throughout university, and she had sworn off that lifestyle as soon as she was able. And as cozy and familiar (and cheap) as her dad’s house was, it was just too far from her workplace to be able to commute. She needed to find something affordable, and fast. 

Just as she was about to exit her browser, a new listing caught her eye. 

“I shouldn’t,” she grumbled to herself. No use in getting her hopes up yet again. 

But the exterior photo was gorgeous—intricate antique brickwork, large windows, a quaint little front porch, and the most elegant stain glass door Laura had ever seen.

“Okay, just a quick look,” she resolved, clicking the link. 

The interior photos proved to be just as lovely, with ample natural lighting and plenty of space. It was fully furnished too, which was certainly a bonus. No need to assemble frustrating IKEA furniture. 

And then there was the long list of additional perks: quiet, walkable neighborhood, steps away from public transportation, close proximity to a park, the list stretched on. 

It was perfect. 

Laura braced herself as she approached the section of the page where pricing was usually found. Surely this place would be out of her range by a landslide. But to her surprise, there was nothing listed under rent. Only a note that read, “FOR SERIOUS INQUIRIES, CONTACT LANDLORD WILLIAM LUCE KARNSTEIN AT 617-307-1698.” 

How strange. 

“Guess it must be free,” she said, chuckling to herself. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to call and ask for a tour. Even if rent turns out to be a gajillion dollars a month, I just have to see this place in person.” 

A quick phone call to the landlord later, and she was booked for an apartment tour the following Tuesday evening. 

***

The next Tuesday, when Laura arrived at the apartment, she was greeted by a young man, no older than herself, standing in front of the porch. His muscular arms were folded together, and his piercing, icy blue eyes shone in the light of the setting sun. In one hand, he held a dark grey folder. 

“Can I help you?” He asked. 

“Um, excuse me,” Laura said as she approached the man, “I’m here for an apartment showing, and I’m looking for Mr. Karnstein.” 

“Ah, you must be Ms. Hollis,” the man said, reaching out a hand. “I’m Mr. Karnstein. Please, call me Will.” 

Laura took his hand and gave it a firm shake, shocked at the revelation. How did someone as young as Will get to be the owner of such a beautiful building? This kid must be loaded. 

She followed him indoors and up a steep set of stairs until they reached the second floor unit. Will pulled a ring of keys out of his pocket and expertly located the correct key to unlock the door. 

“Welcome to the unit. In here we have the foyer, and just beyond that is the living room,” Will said, ushering her inside. 

The interior of the apartment was just as gorgeous as the photos implied. Laura marveled at how spacious the unit was in person—she’d have plenty of space for all her books and trinkets, and perhaps even a space for all her video equipment. It would be nice to have a dedicated vlogging studio instead of the makeshift setup she’d finagled in her old bedroom. 

“If we go down this hallway, you’ll find the kitchen and dining room. All new appliances,” Will explained. 

Laura stepped into the kitchen, amazed at the setup that she found. A large refrigerator, a high-tech oven, and, to her delight, a dishwasher. She despised washing dishes. 

“I can tell from your reaction that you like to cook,” Will said nonchalantly. 

“I do,” Laura replied, “but I’m not the best at it. I am learning, though. Last week I attempted to make a fancy Italian dinner for myself and my dad. Everything turned out great except for the garlic bread,” she said with an embarrassed chuckle. The dish had burnt to a crisp in the oven, nearly setting off the smoke alarms. 

“Sounds delicious,” Will said. “A shame about the garlic bread. Although I certainly wouldn’t complain—I’m terribly allergic to garlic. Come along, let me show you the dining room.” 

The dining room was all the more elegant. Laura noted the magnificent crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

“Original to the apartment,” Will explained. “It was the talk of the neighborhood back in the 1920s. The... previous owners of this property were known for their dinner parties.”

“That sounds wonderful. You say that as if you were there,” Laura said. She stepped forward to get a closer look, but her foot caught on something and she was sent tumbling onto the glossy hardwood floors with a shriek. When she gained her bearings, she saw that she had tripped over the intricately-patterned rug in the center of the room. Its corner had been pulled back from her fall, revealing a dark stain against the otherwise pristine floor. How odd.

Must be a stain from one of the dinner parties, she thought to herself. Though she couldn’t help but notice that the stain looked an awful lot like... 

“Are you alright, Ms. Hollis?” Will asked, reaching a hand out to help Laura up. 

“I’m fine, thanks!” She took his hand and stood back up, noting how quickly Will then jumped to place the rug’s corner back where it belonged. 

“Come along then, I must show you the bedroom and bathroom,” Will announced, exiting the dining room. Laura followed him into the bedroom. 

She stepped through the threshold, immediately eyeing the walk-in closet on the right side of the room. “There’s so much natural light in here!” Laura squealed.

“Yes,” Will agreed. “Most of our previous tenants preferred to use blackout curtains to block out the sunlight.”

“That won’t be necessary for me,” Laura said, thrilled at the prospect of waking up with the sun. 

The bathroom was equally beautiful, with marble flooring and a spacious bathtub. Laura peered over the edge of the tub, noticing its odd shape. It was an elongated hexagon, similar to a coffin. How unusual for a bathtub. Then again, it really contributed to the charm of the place. 

“That’s everything,” Will concluded. “What do you think?” 

“It’s perfect,” Laura said, though she began fidgeting nervously. “There’s just one question I have... how much is rent?” 

Will laughed jovially. “Rent won’t cost you a single cent,” he said. “Unless you’d prefer to write a monthly check. I certainly wouldn’t complain. Though I’m afraid you’ll have to cover utilities yourself.” 

Laura’s jaw dropped. This gorgeous apartment, rent free? This was too good to be true. “That settles it, then! I’m one-hundred percent interested.” 

“Good, good,” Will said, slyly. “In that case, I have a copy of the lease right here,” he said, pulling a pen from his pocket and a packet of papers out of the folder he’d been holding. “The lease will be valid for twelve months. You can sign today and be moving in as early as Thursday.” 

Laura eagerly grabbed the paperwork from Will, scribbling her name in the blank spots. “You have no idea how perfect the timing for this is,” she said as she wrote. “I’m desperate for somewhere to live in this neighborhood.”

“You really lucked out then,” Will said with a smirk. “People are just dying to move into this building.” His smirk turned into a grin, and Laura couldn’t help but notice how his canine teeth appeared to be just a tad more pointy than the average human. 

“Thank you so much, Will! I’m so excited to move into this apartment. You won’t regret having me as a tenant, I promise,” Laura said gleefully, handing him the lease.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Will said, shaking Laura’s hand once again. 

And with that, she exited her new home, descending the stairs with a spring in her step. Finally, everything in her life was in line and she could start her new chapter. 

When she exited the front door of the building, she was surprised to find a woman standing at the bottom of the porch, dark eyes glaring at her with intensity, as if she were waiting for Laura. 

“Come with me,” she said firmly. 

“Wh—“ Laura began, but before she could finish, the woman grasped her hand and yanked her forward, running down the sidewalk. Her dark curls bounced as she ran. 

The woman pulled Laura down several more blocks, then finally turned into an alley. There, she finally let go of Laura’s wrist. Laura stared at the woman, who was surprisingly not even winded, even though Laura herself was still catching her breath. “Who the hell are you?” She asked between pants. 

“You can’t live there,” the woman said, still looking into Laura’s eyes with a fervent blaze. “It’s not safe.”

“That doesn’t exactly answer my question,” Laura said, rolling her eyes. “Who are you, why did you take me here, and what are you talking about?” 

The woman sighed. “I’m Carmilla. William is my brother, and you can’t live there. Not unless you have a death wish.” 

“Why not?” Laura narrowed her gaze. 

“William is a vampire. And you’ve just become his latest snack.”

Laura blinked. “He’s a what?” She practically shrieked. 

“Yeah. Didn’t you read the lease?”

“No... I skimmed it, but—“

“God, you’re such an idiot,” Carmilla said. She reached into the pocket of her leather jacket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Laura looked over her shoulder as she pointed to a passage on the third page. “Lessee has agreed to compensate the lessor in twelve monthly payments of 15% or more of the lessee’s blood, unless alternative monetary arrangements are made at the time of the signing of the lease,” Carmilla read out loud. “Do you get it now?” 

“Oh, crap,” Laura whined. “How do you know all of this, anyway?” 

“William is my brother,” Carmilla revealed. “And I am a vampire too.”

“You’re a vampire too?” Laura repeated, eyes widening. 

“Don’t go screaming it for the world to hear, cupcake,” Carmilla whispered harshly. “But yes. Willy boy and I are both vampires, and we’re certainly not the only ones in this city. And you just signed yourself up to get eaten. But I can help you.”

“Okay, well... why should I trust you?” Laura asked the vampire, skeptical of her promise. 

“Do you want to get eaten or not?” Carmilla huffed. 

“No, of course not,” Laura said assertively. 

Carmilla took a deep breath, her face finally softening for the first time since they met. “Look. I lost someone I loved to Will’s terrible landlord scam once. I’ve made it my purpose to prevent him from taking any more girls. You’re just going to have to trust me. It won’t be easy, but I’ll help you.”

“Alright then,” Laura conceded. 

Carmilla smirked. “Buckle up, creampuff.”

**Author's Note:**

> That’s all! I hope you enjoyed this story. While I set this up to read like the opening chapter to a longer story, I don’t have any immediate plans of finishing it. But never say never... 
> 
> Thanks to my pals in the SLC discord for the encouragement, and especially to Jac for leading the challenge.


End file.
